23 November 2004

Mystery plant leads to new book

An enquiry from a bio security officer has led to a book on carex in Auckland.

Carex in Auckland-A Field Guide was written by former bio security officer Chris McKain and published by the Waitakere City Council.

The full colour, 48-page book was inspired when neither Chris nor Council Parks Officers could identify a plant outside the Ecomatters house in New Lynn. This led him to research the 31 species of carex in Auckland and he hopes that the result will help the public when they’re next at the garden centre.

The practical guide is meant for use in the field and has a description, full colour photo and line drawing of each species to assist with identification.

Others involved in production were Ewen Cameron, Curator of Botany at Auckland Museum, Mike Wilcox, President of the Auckland Botanical Society, Peter de Lange, Rhys Gardner and Paradigm Printing.

The booklet is free to Waitakere households and can be obtained by ringing the Council Call Centre on (04) 839 0400.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>